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Living Distinctively in Holiness
22 “Be sure to keep all my statutes and observe all my ordinances, so that the land where I’m about to bring you to live won’t vomit you out. 23 You are not to live[a] by the customs of the nations, whom I’ve cast away right in front of you. Because they did all of these things, I detested them. 24 But I’ve promised[b] you that you’ll inherit the land that I’m about to give you as your permanent possession[c]—a land flowing with milk and honey.
“I am your God. I’ve separated you from the people. 25 You are to differentiate between the clean animal and the unclean and between the unclean bird and the clean. You are not to make yourselves detestable on account of any animal, bird, or any creeping creature of the ground that I’ve separated for you as unclean.
26 “You are to be holy toward me, because I, the Lord, am holy. I’ve separated you from among the people to be mine.
27 “Moreover, a man or a woman who has a ritual spirit or a familiar spirit is certainly to die. They are to be stoned to death with boulders. They will continue to bear responsibility for their guilt.”[d]
Priestly Holiness
21 The Lord told Moses, “Speak to the priests, Aaron’s sons, and tell them that no priest is to defile himself on account of the dead among his people, 2 except his close relatives—his mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or 3 virgin sister (who is a near relative of him and did not have a husband—[e] he may defile himself for her). 4 Because he is a husband among his people, he is not to defile himself, thereby polluting himself.
5 “They are not to cut their hair in ritualistic patterns[f] on their heads, deface the edges of their beards, or make incisions in their flesh. 6 They are to be holy to their God. They are not to defile the name of their God, because they’re the ones who bring the offerings of the Lord made by fire—the food of their God—so they are to be holy.
7 “They are not to marry[g] a prostitute or a woman who has been dishonored or who was divorced from her husband, because the priest[h] is holy to his God. 8 Consecrate him, because he’s the one who offers the food of your God. He is to be holy for you, because I, the Lord, the one who sanctifies you, am holy.
9 “Now if the daughter of any priest defiles herself by being a prostitute, she defiles her father. She is to be incinerated.
10 “The high priest among his relatives—whose head has been anointed with oil and who has been consecrated to put on the priestly clothing—is not to let his hair hang loose or to tear his clothes. 11 He is not to come near any dead body—whether the deceased[i] is his father or his mother—so as not to defile himself. 12 He is not to go out of the sanctuary or defile the sanctuary of his God, because his God’s consecrating oil of anointing rests on him. I am the Lord.
13 “Furthermore, he is to marry a true virgin.[j] 14 He is not to marry a widow or one who has been divorced, has been defiled, or has been a prostitute. Instead, he is to take a virgin from among his people as his wife.
15 “He is not to defile his children[k] among his people, because I am the Lord, who sets him apart.”
On Physical Defects
16 The Lord told Moses, 17 “Tell Aaron that whoever of your descendants throughout their generations has a bodily defect is not to approach to offer the food of his God. 18 Indeed, any person who has a defect is not to approach the Tent of Meeting—[l] the blind, the lame, one who is mutilated in the face or who has a very long limb, 19 or a person who has a fractured foot or hand, 20 has scoliosis,[m] is a dwarf, or has an eye defect, an itching disease, scabs, or a crushed testicle. 21 None of the descendants of Aaron the priest who has a defect is to approach to bring offerings of the Lord made by fire, since he has a defect. He is not to approach to offer the food of his God. 22 However, he may eat the food of his God, including the most holy and the holy offerings, 23 but he is not to enter through the curtain nor approach the altar, since he has a defect. That way, he won’t defile my sanctuary, since I am the Lord, who sets you apart.”
24 Moses told all of this[n] to Aaron, to his sons, and to all the Israelis.
Holy Offerings
22 Later on, the Lord told Moses, 2 “Tell Aaron and his sons that they are to separate themselves for the sacred things of the Israelis and that they are not to defile my holy name. I am the Lord. 3 Tell them that whoever among your descendants throughout your generations approaches the sacred things that the Israelis had consecrated to the Lord while still remaining unclean is to be eliminated from my presence. I am the Lord. 4 If one of Aaron’s descendants has an infectious skin disease or a discharge, he is not to eat anything sacred until he has been cleansed. Anyone who touches an unclean thing on account of the dead, or who has a seminal discharge, 5 or who becomes unclean by touching a creeping creature or another human being, whatever the uncleanness may be— 6 such a person[o] who comes in contact with anything like this will become unclean until evening. As a result, he is not to eat the sacred things unless he has bathed himself[p] with water. 7 When the sun has gone down and he has been cleansed, he may eat of the sacred things, since that’s his food. 8 He is not to eat the carcass of an animal that was torn by animals,[q] thereby defiling himself with it. I am the Lord. 9 They are to keep my charge. By doing so, they won’t bear the punishment of sin because of it and therefore die if they’ve been defiled by it. I am the Lord, who sets them apart.”
Other Prohibitions
10 “No resident alien is to eat anything sacred. Neither the visitor[r] of the priest nor a hired laborer is to eat anything sacred. 11 If a priest acquires a slave as property with his own money, he may eat with him. Those who were born in his house may eat his food. 12 If a priest’s daughter marries a resident alien, she is not to eat the sacred raised offerings. 13 If the priest’s daughter is a widow, or is divorced and childless,[s] so that she has to return to her father’s house as in her younger days,[t] she may eat her father’s food, but no resident alien may eat it. 14 If a person eats anything sacred inadvertently, he is to add a fifth part to it and then give the sacred thing to the priest. 15 They are not to defile the sacred things of the Israelis that they have offered[u] to the Lord, 16 thereby causing them to bear the punishment of their iniquity for wrongdoing when they eat their sacred things, because I am the Lord, who sets them apart.”
9 Then he told them, “I tell all of you[a] with certainty, some people standing here will not experience[b] death until they see the kingdom of God arrive with power.”
Jesus’ Appearance is Changed(A)
2 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain to be alone with him. His appearance was changed in front of them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone[c] on earth could bleach them. 4 Then Elijah appeared to them, accompanied by Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
5 Then Peter told Jesus, “Rabbi,[d] it’s good that we’re here! Let’s set up three shelters[e]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 (Peter[f] didn’t know how to respond, because they were terrified.)
7 Then a cloud appeared and overshadowed them. A voice came out of the cloud and said,[g] “This is my Son, whom I love. Keep on listening to him!” 8 Suddenly, as they looked around, they saw no one with them but Jesus alone.
9 On their way down the mountain, Jesus[h] ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves but argued about what “rising from the dead” meant. 11 So they asked him, “Don’t the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
12 He told them, “Elijah is indeed coming first and will restore all things. Why, then, is it written that the Son of Man must suffer a great deal and be treated shamefully? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, yet people[i] treated him just as they pleased, as it is written about him.”
Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon(B)
14 As they approached the other[j] disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and some scribes arguing with them. 15 The whole crowd was very surprised to see Jesus[k] and ran to welcome him.
16 He asked the scribes,[l] “What are you arguing about with them?”
17 A man in the crowd answered him, “Teacher, I brought my son to you. He has a spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 Whenever it brings on a seizure, it throws him to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes stiff. So I asked your disciples to drive the spirit[m] out, but they didn’t have the power.”
19 Jesus[n] told them, “You unbelieving generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him to me!”
20 So they brought the boy[o] to him. When the spirit saw Jesus,[p] it immediately threw the boy[q] into convulsions. He fell on the ground and kept rolling around and foaming at the mouth. 21 Then Jesus[r] asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” He said, “Since he was a child. 22 The spirit[s] has often thrown him into fire and into water to destroy him. But if you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us!”
23 Jesus told him, “‘If you are able?’ Everything is possible for the person who believes!”
24 With tears flowing,[t] the child’s father at once cried out, “I do believe! Help my unbelief!”
25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “You spirit that won’t let him talk or hear—I command you to come out of him and never enter him again!” 26 The spirit[u] screamed, shook the child[v] violently, and came out. The boy was like a corpse, and many said that he was dead. 27 But Jesus took his hand and helped him up, and he stood up.
28 When Jesus[w] came home, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive the spirit[x] out?”
29 He told them, “This kind can come out only by prayer and fasting.”[y]
God is my Hope during Times of Trouble
43 [a]You be my judge,[b] God,
and plead my case against an unholy nation;
rescue me from the deceitful and unjust man.
2 Since you are the God who strengthens me,
why have you forsaken me?
Why do I go around mourning under the enemy’s oppression?”
3 Send forth your light and your truth
so they may guide me.
Let them bring me to your holy mountain and to your dwelling places.[c]
4 Then I will approach the altar of God,
even to God in whom my joy finds its source.[d]
Then I will praise you with the lyre,
God, my God,
5 Why are you in despair, my soul?
Why are you disturbed within me?
Hope in God,
because I will praise him once again,
since his presence saves me
and he is my God.
18 Whoever conceals hatred is a deceitful liar,
and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
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